Music

Claudia Schmidt has been producing music, poetry and theater for over 30 years. Folk and jazz are some of her musical styles, the Midwest is her home, but the world is her audience!

Justin Leeson thinks deeply, feels passionately and lives consciously, so you can look forward to some stimulating and challenging music. Bused from his St Louis neighborhood to a primarily white school majorly affected his life, as did his experience in cosmopolitan Houston. Justin has left his Southern Baptist roots far behing and practices as a Pagan currently.

Bob Franke has decades of experience writing songs that vividly capture the experience of the human heart and spirit, enough so that at least one of his songs made it into the Friends Hymnal that came out in 1996. His latest CD, The Other Evening In Chicago is available at the waterbug.com site.

Ellen was raised in a conservative part of the Lutheran Church, and she completely embraced her childhood religion. In her 30's she found herself working through guilt and rules to find a spirituality that fit her better. Focusing on the Law of Attraction is fundamental to her spiritual world view now, and her musical preferences speak clearly of her vision.

Nora has tasted a lot of different churches in the course of her spiritual search, and an important part of her quest included coming to grips with the parts of her that felt unloved and unlovable, that doubted that any church could be trusted. She has found a spiritual home, at present, at Unity Christ Center of Eau Claire.

Mark is many things - a father, a storyteller, a sustainable living activist - and he's passionate about music. His junior high school choir even recorded 3 records! Probably best known for his work with the MREA, Mark does and teaches sustainable construction with his company, Bearpaw Design & Construction. Raised Lutheran, a stint with Unitarians, he leans toward Native American and Earth-based spirituality.

Helene was a Presbyterian, graduate of Beloit College in Wisconsin, but was drawn to Quakerism because of her deep attraction to an inward devotional life. She works with students as a staff member of Haverford College, Pennsylvania, a Quaker school. Music is very important to Helene, a companion to her ceaseless internal prayer.

Art Lyons, host of the annual event known as Bobstock (as in Bob Dylan) is back to share the music that speaks of the important steps in his journey. Raised Catholic with a serious engagement with Buddhism, and onward from there, Art is thoughtful with a deep passion for music.

Katherine Kocs was forced to retire prematurely from her job in social work because of a life-threatening medical condition, but not before creating Wisconsin's ground-breaking Bullying Prevention program. Raised Catholic, Katherine now finds her spirituality through activism.

Bryce Black, Timothy James Young and Yata teamed up in a concert bursting at the seams with Spirit on May 10, 2008, held at Unity Christ Center.